About us
The research group Histories of Art, Architecture and Visual Culture (VISU) offers a platform for fundamental research on the history and theory of art, architecture and visual culture from the early modern period up to the present. We study not only the artistic and architectural practice, the material object and the spatial environment, but also the broader cultural, historical and societal context, which often relates to current themes such as new media, visualisation of conflict and war, urbanisation, sustainability, multiculturality and globalisation. Key questions concern the circulation of images, artefacts, practices and knowledge across boundaries. These cross-overs are understood as mutual interactions between the different arts and as exchanges between different cultures, traditions, regions or periods.
Recent News
"Every Film is Political"
On 2 March, the Oscars will be awarded, and according to the British newspaper The Guardian, this year’s nominations are the most political ever. Katarzyna Ruchel-Stockmans is also pleasantly surprised by the selection.
500 Years of Visual Journalism
Nowadays, we take it for granted that every news article in a newspaper is accompanied by a striking image. This image-driven journalism may seem like a phenomenon of our time, but the hunger for news images is centuries old.
Exploring artisanship, technical knowledge and ingenuity in the making of silver cups
VISU member Hanne Schonkeren will be presenting her research at the Material Culture Pre-1850 Workshop on the 10th of March 2025, hosted by the University of Cambridge.
Events
Practical info-Symposium: Views from Below. Engagements with Vernacular Lens Media Archives
VISU – Histories of Art, Architecture and Visual Culture would like to invite you to the symposium Views from Below.
Practical info-Lecture Bruegel's Room for all Seasons
On 24 February, Tine Meganck will deliver a lecture at Trinity Hall Cambridge, UK, on the 16th Century Southern Netherlandish painter Pieter Bruegel.
Practical info-Lecture Manuelina Maria Duarte Cândido, Social museology: museums as agents of social change
Manuela Maria Duarte Cândido is invited by the ‘Ties That Bind Us’ lecture series to give a talk on 17 February on how museum practices have evolved, focusing especially on the shift from traditional roles to more activist and community-driven approaches.
